Sustainable Energy Sociologist

Monthly Archives: November 2019

The Boulder Book Store is holding a book event/reading on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at 7:30 p.m.
The Book Store is at Pearl and 11th St. in Boulder.

Creative Crones / Having and Writing the Times of Our Lives

is the product of a life-stories writing class taught at Frasier by Naomi Rachel from the University of Colorado.

It is a delightful potpourri of memoir pieces depicting Twentieth Century life as lived by sixteen women writers. Spanning the decades from the 1940s to the 1990s, these stories give unique glimpses into lives as women lived them in an American culture that has, of course, since moved on. Catching moments from years ago with wit and wisdom, the crones convey perspectives only possible from older women with rich and full life experiences.

This book is important because the women offer amazing descriptions and meaningful insights from direct experience. The pieces remind readers of the scenes and characters and happenings of their own lives — their own stories. For younger readers, these life stories provide first-hand accounts of life from the middle of the 20th Century. These stories will move you. You will smile, you will laugh, you will be sad. Perhaps you will even find some wisdom in these pages. Perhaps you will be inspired to write your life stories.

Naomi Rachel is perceptive, knows her craft, and is an excellent teacher. She draws from a seemingly bottomless well of challenging writing exercises.

Those who were comfortable shared their assignments with the class. Naomi offered insightful comments on the writing. In the process of sharing our writings, we came to know each other better and formed a sense of community.

In the book is a piece that I wrote entitled “Preface” based on a photograph of me when I was three years old. My nickname was “Cookie Culley.”

Books may be purchased at the Boulder Book Store over the holiday season, and also at the Frasier Gift Shop.